How Becoming a Marketer Made Me a Better Instructional Designer

Is instructional design just marketing with a different job title?

We need to stop treating ID and marketing as separate disciplines.

“A shipped instructional design work is just a hypothesis.”

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Hit the Curiosity Sweet Spot to Speed Up Learning Understanding curiosity can help people—and robots—learn faster

Hit the Curiosity Sweet Spot to Speed Up Learning

Curiosity isn’t decoration in learning—it’s a design lever. Start with a gap, a question, or a surprise, and learners lean in instead of tuning out.

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Every trainer is a marketer who doesn’t know it yet.

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Train Like A Marketer Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro Stop creating programs people endure. Start designing experiences they crave. This game-changing guide reveals how marketing's most powerful techniques…

Mandatory training doesn’t have to be soul-crushing. "Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro" gives L&D pros the marketer’s toolkit—attention triggers, campaigns, personas—to turn boring-but-required into learning that sticks.

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How do we design 'engaging' learning? For that matter, what does 'engaging' even mean?...

How do we design 'engaging' learning?

Designing ‘engaging’ learning starts with empathy for your audience.

If learners can see themselves in your design, and you can tap into issues they care about, there’s a good chance it won’t feel like training.

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Your learners deserve better than "eat your vegetables" training. They deserve learning that grabs their attention, speaks to their real challenges, and actually changes their behavior.

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Your Learners are Using AI to Redesign Your Courses What AI usage among learners in 2025 tell us about the current & future state of instructional design

We've Underserved the Emotional Dimension of Learning #TrainLikeAMarketer

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The Mindtools L&D Podcast: 446 — Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro Effective marketers have an uncanny way of knowing what we want and convincing us to click ‘Like’, add to Checkout and in under 20 seconds, buy their thing. Clever. Meanwhile, over...

🎯 Podcast alert! Learn how to think like a marketer to supercharge your L&D programs. Bianca Baumann & Mike Taylor share game-changing strategies that actually get people to take action. Perfect for anyone struggling to engage learners! #TrainLikeAMarketer

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🎧 Clickbait & Cognitive Load A Soundtrack for L&D Pros, Marketing Nerds, and Anyone Caught in the Creative Crossfire Let’s be honest: working at the intersection of Learning & Development and Marketing is like directin…

🎧 L&D friends: What song perfectly captures the chaos of course reviews, SME feedback, or launch week energy?

Drop your pick + why it belongs on the “Clickbait & Cognitive Load” playlist 👇

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Mike Taylor Thinks Like a Marketer Brian Washburn interviews author and consultant Mike Taylor about the impact of marketing on L&D and his new book, Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro.

L&D It's Time to Steal from Marketing with Mike Taylor

Marketers excel at grabbing attention and driving behavior—areas where L&D often struggles. With a simple mindset shift, applying marketing principles can make training far more engaging and effective. #TrainLikeAMarketer

Think Like a Marketer with Bianca Baumann and Mike Taylor In this episode of the Learning While Working Podcast, Bianca Baumann and Mike Taylor share insights from their latest book, ‘Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro: Strategies to Ignite…

Think Like a Marketer

L&D pros: Think like marketers! 📈 Learn how adopting marketing strategies like learner personas, cognitive design, and campaign-based approaches can make training more impactful. Shift from content creators to strategic partners! #TrainLikeAMarketer

7 Neuro-Writing Tips for More Persuasive Content You can blame the brain when your content falls flat (to some degree). But you can win the audience’s brain game with these seven neuro-writing tips.

7 Neuro-Writing Tips for More Persuasive Content

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Marketing wisdom meets learning expertise.

(WARNING: may cause uncontrollable urges to redesign all your courses).

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"This is the L&D and marketing crossover you are looking for"

Cara North with a Star Wars-worthy endorsement!

We're on a mission to rescue learning content from the dark side of dullness.

Learn more about "Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro" at amzn.to/4dlBvI5

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“Users’ first impressions are 94% design-related. But they stay for the content and leave when the design impedes them.”

- Nielsen Norman Group #TrainLikeAMarketer

Adopting A Marketing Mindset In L&D In this episode, discover how a marketing mindset can transform L&D. Bianca Baumann and Mike Taylor share tips to boost engagement, impact, and business value.

Adopting a marketing mindset in L&D

There is quite a lot L&D teams can learn from marketing. In this podcast episode, Bianca Baumann and Mike Taylor, share how to apply marketing principles to learning design. #TrainLikeAMarketer

Tell me what you want: why every piece of media needs a call to action If you're not asking your audience to do something, you're not being clear enough. A strong call to action turns attention into action. Here's why information makers, journalists, and creators should…

Tell me what you want: why every piece of media needs a call to action

Without a clear call to action, your content gets lost. A CTA isn’t pushy — it’s a service, guiding your audience to act, think, or feel. No CTA? No impact. #TrainLikeAMarketer

Cracking the Learning Code: How Personas Transform Training from Good to Great : Articles | The Learning Guild New user? Create an account

Cracking the Learning Code: How Personas Transform Training from Good to Great

Ever wish your training hit the bull’s-eye every time?Create learner personas! These fictional avatars help you tailor content that sticks—read the full article & learn to #TrainLikeAMarketer

Tell me what you want: why every piece of media needs a call to action If you're not asking your audience to do something, you're not being clear enough. A strong call to action turns attention into action. Here's why information makers, journalists, and creators should…

Tell me what you want: why every piece of media needs a call to action

You’re not always selling something — but you’re always asking for attention, trust, or time, so use it wisely.

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7 Marketing Writing Tricks That Will Transform Your L&D Content You’ve been there: you craft an elearning module with care, send the invitation, and wait. The response? Minimal engagement and a quiet sense of disappointment. Your learners aren’t avo…

Your L&D content deserves better than being ignored.

Steal these proven marketing tricks to hook attention, spark emotion & drive action. Start transforming your training today 👇

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Our book is now available for pre-order — and it lands May 27th!

If you're ready to create learning experiences that grab attention, spark action, and drive results, this book is for you.

🔥 Practical.
📚 Research-backed.
🎯 Built for L&D pros.

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If You’re Not Hooking Viewers in 5 Seconds… You’ve Already Lost Them You have just five seconds. So hook ‘em in, keep them watching, and make those seconds count.Starting with a clear hook isn’t just for YouTubers looking to m...

If You’re Not Hooking Viewers in 5 Seconds… You’ve Already Lost Them #TrainLikeAMarketer

When an L&D legend like Karl Kapp says your book will "change the way you think about developing instruction forever," it's both humbling and exciting!

We couldn't be more grateful for Karl's support & can't wait to share these ideas with you!

Pre-order today: amzn.to/4j5F5b6

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Be one of the first people to get a look at our new book! #TrainLikeAMarketer

FREE CHAPTER ALERT!

Want to transform your L&D programs from "meh" to "wow"? Grab our free sample chapter and discover how marketing secrets can revolutionize your learning designs. Your learners will thank you! #TrainLikeAMarketer

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The 5 Factors for Crafting Simple (Read: Effective!) Messages The Art of Manliness · Episode

5 Factors for Crafting Simple (Effective) Messages

Cut through media noise! 🤯 Learn to simplify your message & persuade. Marketing expert Ben Guttmann shares tips from his book "Simply Put" on crafting clear, influential messages. Benefits > features! #marketing #TrainLikeAMarketer

ELC 087: Steal From Marketing to Improve Your Training Marketing and L&D have similarities. Marketers use strategies and technologies that can transform the work of L&D teams and individuals.

Steal From Marketing to Improve Your Training

Everyone wants their training to be most effective and more engaging. So, what can we learn from marketing? Mike and Bianca explain. #TrainLikeAMarketer

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A view from Dave Trott: What will you remember tomorrow? Phil Adams is planning director at Blonde Digital.

What will you remember tomorrow?

Great advice works that works in every situation where human beings are involved.

Whatever you want to say, simplify it beyond what is comfortable. Simplify it until you are embarrassed at how simple it is.

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Introduction: Why You Should Think Like a Marketer | Podcast by Mike Taylor | Listen on audio.com Play Introduction: Why You Should Think Like a Marketer by Mike Taylor on audio.com and discover something new. Listen tracks or upload your own audio files for free.

We're super excited to share this overview of our book "Think Like a Marketer, Learn Like an L&D Pro" that is dropping on May 27th.

Be the first to get a peek at what #TrainLikeAMarketer is all about!

Digital Sales Rooms: The Secret Weapon L&D Pros Didn’t Know They Needed Ever feel like you’re spending more time chasing stakeholders than actually delivering training? Between waiting for leadership buy-in, managing SME feedback, and ensuring learners engage with cont…

L&D chaos? 🤯 Virtual Learning Hubs (VLHs), inspired by Digital Sales Rooms, streamline training. Centralize content, track engagement, and boost buy-in. Stop chasing, start leading. Learn how VLHs can be your secret weapon!

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